Which Way Are the Boats Between Florida and Cuba Rowing?

In the 90 miles of shark infested waters between Cuba and Florida, which way are the people traveling, risking their lives on boats made of milk cartons?

60 Cuban migrants arrived in the lower Florida Keys last week after braving the treacherous waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

“I have never seen so many at once,” Battalion Chief Francisco Perez said. “They were very happy to see us. They said they had been on the ocean for two days.”

When the Berlin Wall fell, which way did the people run? Towards or away from socialism? The answer is a clear one and like Cuba, it really paints the truths that surround a system where the government controls every aspect of peoples lives.

Cubans have used every method in the book to escape the Castro regime of pure socialism over the years. They have tried swimming, inner tubes and homemade milk carton boats. They have used rowboats and rickety larger boats. They are not worried about the safety of the crossing, they only want to reach the freedom that they will find if they can just “touch dry land” at the edge of the United States.

On Sunday, July 17, 13 men arrived in Key Largo on a “single-engine rustic vessel,” said Supervisory U.S. Border Patrol Agent Adam Hoffner. The men told Border Patrol agents they spent four days at sea.

Monday morning, around 5 a.m., nine Cuban men arrived at the Ocean Reef Club community in north Key Largo, also in a single-engine rustic craft. They told Border Patrol agents that their journey from Cuba took six days.

Around 10 a.m. Monday, three men came to shore at the Middle Keys community of Key Colony Beach.

The policy is, that if they can reach dry land, the Cubans are welcome to stay apply for permanent residency after a year.

The “wet-foot, dry-foot” change made in 1995 to the Cuban Adjustment Act allows it for all Cubans leaving their homeland. Those who are stopped at sea are sent back.

Norberto Gonzalez Jr.’s journey to America .
His story is a testament to those who are willing to put everything–including their lives–on the line for the chance to carve out a life in which the only limitations are those that are self-imposed.

About Author

Baron was just a shy kid with a dream, growing up in the 40's with a knack for story-telling. After a brief career in film, Von Kowenhoven went to Europe in search of fringe-scientific discoveries and returned in the 90's to unleash them on the entertainment and political landscape of America.

In 2008 my life changed when Barack Obama came into my front yard on a campaign stop. I asked him why he wanted to raise taxes, and he said that he wanted to “spread the wealth.” Since then, I have gained a national following as “Joe the Plumber” and now travel the country speaking and encouraging other everyday folks to get involved in the political process.